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Fenway’s Bravest

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Servicce Report) – Perhaps a game-winning homer was just what the doctor ordered for the Boston Red Sox? Maybe it was the come-from-behind aspect that could fuel a slip-sliding ballclub?

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After erasing a 6-2 deficit over the final three innings to emerge victorious on a Rafael Devers’ game-winning home run on Saturday night, the Red Sox look to continue the momentum when they play a Sunday afternoon rubber game against the visiting Atlanta Braves.

The recent  American League Player of the Week, Devers’ first career clinching homer capped the Saturday comeback and a personal 3-for-4 effort for a player who started the season in a slump and a funk. Boston’s longtime third baseman-turned-designated hitter has a .411 average in 15 games this month and has reached base in 19 of his last 20 games.

“We all know who (Devers) is. He’s always the same guy,” Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran told Fox postgame. “He could be 0-for-5 or 5-for-5 and he looks the exact same. I think people just need to trust him because we know what he can do.”

Prior to Saturday, Boston had been on a four-game skid and lost eight straight one-run games.

“We needed that one,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “I’m glad we got rewarded (on Saturday) but, hopefully, we can avoid these games and get a lead, add to it. It’s a lot of innings for the bullpen. You pay the price.”

Boston’s Braves

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) -Boston DH Rafael Devers’ leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning capped the Red Sox come back from five runs down to beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 7-6 on Saturday night at Fenway Park.

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After Boston’s Aroldis Chapman (3-2) worked around two baserunners to strike out the side in the top half of the ninth, Devers — who finished 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored — clubbed a 2-1 curveball into the right-center field bullpen off Pierce Johnson (1-1) for his first career game-winning homer.

The third baseman turned designated hitter, Devers finished 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored as the Red Sox won the second of a three-game series.

Boston had scored twice and tallied three hits in both the seventh and eighth innings to whittle down from a 6-2 deficit. Jarren Duran finished with four RBIs, including two on a game-tying single to right with two outs in the eighth.

In the seventh, Ceddanne Rafaela’s leadoff double down the left-field line began a stretch of three Boston hits in four batters to cut its deficit to 6-4. Devers’ opposite-field single and Alex Bregman’s wall-ball double plated runs.

Consecutive one-out hits by Abraham Toro (double) and Carlos Narvaez (single) set up Duran’s game-tying knock an inning later.

Earliers, Atlanta’s Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna hit back-to-back homers in the first and Drake Baldwin added a two-run shot in the third for a 5-0 advantage for Atlanta, which was held scoreless after the fourth against four relief pitchers.

The Braves wasted little time getting to Boston starter Lucas Giolito as Austin Riley drew a one-out walk and scored on Olson’s two-run homer out to the bullpen in center in the first inning. Ozuna made it back-to-back jacks and a 3-0 Atlanta lead in the next at-bat, depositing a line-drive solo shot to deep left and completely out of the ballpark.

Another one-out walk helped Atlanta extend its lead to 5-0 in the third. After Ozuna drew a free pass, Baldwin hit a towering two-run homer inside Pesky’s Pole in right that was upheld on review.

Braves starter Grant Holmes set aside the first seven Red Sox he faced before a one-out walk to Narvaez in the third. Duran’s two-run homer to straightaway center got Boston on the board two batters later.

The Atlanta starter limited the hosts’ damage to two third-inning runs, inducing an inning-ending fly ball after allowing a Devers double and walking Bregman.

In the fourth, the Braves got a run back on Riley’s two-out single that dropped into shallow left. Eli White hit a leadoff single and stole second to help set up the RBI opportunity and a 6-2 lead.

–Field Level Media

Sox Slide vs Sale

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Atlanta’s 1B Matt Olson and C Sean Murphy hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning, and Chris Sale’s seven innings of one-run ball made them stand up as the visiting Atlanta Braves defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Friday night.

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The home runs were part of 2-for-4 nights for both Olson and Murphy in the opener of a three-game series.

Sale (2-3) struck out eight and allowed just five hits and two walks en route to winning his second straight outing against the Red Sox since being traded away in 2023.

Daysbel Hernandez and Raisel Iglesias closed out the game, though the latter allowed a Trevor Story RBI single before recording his eighth save.

Jarren Duran (triple) and Nick Sogard were both 2-for-3, but Boston managed just six total hits and were unable to take advantage of a seven-inning start from Garrett Crochet (4-3). The Red Sox finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

The Braves have won four of five, while the Red Sox are on a four-game skid.

Crochet struck out the side on 11 pitches in a dominant first inning, but Atlanta struck for back-to-back solo homers to start the second. Olson and Murphy both went deep over the Green Monster to a near-identical spot in left-center field.

Boston left runners on base in each of the first three innings, including a waste of Jarren Duran’s one-out triple into the right field corner in the third. After Sale struck out Alex Bregman looking, Murphy caught Rafael Devers (walk) attempting to steal second base.

Crochet settled into his outing after allowing the two homers, facing the minimum from the third through sixth innings. In the seventh, the Red Sox southpaw allowed three consecutive one-out singles to Olson, Murphy and Ozzie Albies, but struck out two to escape a bases-loaded jam.

Devers was the first of three Boston men to be retired on the basepaths, as Duran was also caught stealing in the sixth and Sogard ended the seventh getting cut down trying to stretch a single into a double.

The Red Sox did cut into their deficit to start the seventh, though, when Refsnyder lined a leadoff homer into the Green Monster seats in left.

Walks doomed Boston in the top of the ninth, as the bullpen duo of Liam Hendriks and Brennan Bernardino combined to issue five. Two of them forced in key insurance runs to increase the visitors’ lead to 4-1.

–Field Level Media

Friday Night at The Fens

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A battle of ace left-handers is on tap for Friday night as Garrett Crochet’s Boston Red Sox face old friend Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game weekend series in Boston.

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“It’s going to be a fun night,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.. “Obviously, hate to face Chris, but it’s what we have. I think it’s going to be a special night for him coming back to Fenway to pitch and I know Garrett is excited about it, too.”

Crochet (4-2, 1.93 ERA) was hard on his own performance after the first few starts of his Red Sox career, but he has returned to his ace-level form of late while allowing just four runs across his last three starts.

On Saturday, the 26-year-old Crochet scattered seven hits and struck out nine across seven innings of one-run ball in a 10-1 win at Kansas City, ending the Royals’ seven-game win streak.

“You saw the punch-outs. I think the action of his pitches were better than the last few starts. He gave us more than enough,” Cora said. “That’s what he’s here for.”

Boston will be looking for another streak breaking performance from Crochet after losing back-to-back one-run games — 10-9 (11 innings) on Tuesday and 6-5 on Wednesday — at the end of a road series sweep by the Detroit Tigers.

The Red Sox have taken five of their last seven losses by one run and are just 4-12 in such games this season. After a leaping Wilyer Abreu assisted on Ceddanne Rafaela’s catch to rob a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, the Tigers walked off for the second straight night on Wednesday.

“We’re definitely underperforming what we think we can do,” relief pitcher Liam Hendriks said. “There have been a lot of games we think we should have been able to take. Now, it’s a matter of turning those games we’re not supposed to win into wins. That’ll flip the script.”

With the Chicago White Sox, Crochet’s first and only career start against Atlanta was on April 2, 2024. He earned the win after allowing just one run in seven innings, striking out eight.

The Braves arrive in Boston having taken three of four in their previous series against their National League East rival Washington Nationals, including a 5-2 Thursday win.

Rookies were the story for Atlanta as it wrapped up the series, as catcher Drake Baldwin went 3-for-4 with an RBI and AJ Smith-Shawver allowed just one unearned run in six innings.

“That’s the cool thing about this, when you can develop guys and they come up,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “You’re proud of those guys when they can handle themselves like this, and they’re both handling it great.”

After spending 2017-23 in Boston, Sale (1-3, 3.97 ERA) makes his second start against the Red Sox since he was traded away in December 2023. He struck out 10 in six scoreless innings in a 5-0 home win on May 8, 2024.

For his entire career, Sale is 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA in 11 appearances (six starts) against Boston.

Sale struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings on Sunday at Pittsburgh after fanning 10 in each of his two prior starts.

Those outings have been crucial as the Braves pitch without Spencer Strider, who is expected back from a right hamstring injury next week at Washington. Fellow starter Bryce Elder was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett after Thursday’s game.

“We got three more days now in this 17-game run (without an off day) and you need good starts so you’re not doing the roster gymnastics and all that kind of stuff,” Snitker said. “Starters have been a key to this little stretch we’re in.”

–Field Level Media

Schwellenbach vs Red Sox at 1:35pm

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Atlanta right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach will make his second major league start this afternoon when the Braves face the Boston Red Sox for the back half of a two-game series.

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Schwellenbach (0-1, 5.40 ERA) was promoted from Double-A Mississippi to make his major league debut on May 29 against the Washington Nationals. He allowed three runs on five hits in five innings, struck out five and walked one in a 7-2 loss. Sixty of his 88 pitches were strikes.

“I thought his stuff was real good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said postgame. “He handled himself really well. The composure, slowing the game down. I thought he was very impressive.”

Travis d’Arnaud might catch Schwellenbach for the second outing in a row as Sean Murphy left Atlanta’s 8-3 victory on Tuesday with a right elbow injury after being hit by a pitch in the ninth inning. X-rays were negative, and Murphy believes he will avoid going on the injury list.

“Just a big, gross lump,” Murphy said. “It looks worse than it is. (The swelling) will go down quick, so I’m not worried about it.”

The Braves received home runs from Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia during the victory at Boston. Albies hit a three-run shot against Boston starter Kutter Crawford that gave Atlanta a 6-3 lead in the sixth inning.

“Just got to make better pitches,” Crawford said. “Just kind of going through a rut right now, but we’re just going to keep fighting.”

Atlanta starter Max Fried struck out a career-high 13 batters in seven innings on Tuesday. The Red Sox fanned 14 times in the defeat.

“He’s one of the best,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Fried. “He does that every five days.”

In his past three starts, Fried has 28 strikeouts in 24 innings. He walked two and allowed three earned runs in that span.

“I feel like I had a really good feel of the slider, and my curveball was probably the best it has been all year,” Fried said.

Now the Red Sox will face Schwellenbach, whom the Braves selected in the second round of the 2021 draft out of the University of Nebraska. Schwellenbach, 24, won the John Olerud Award as the best two-way player in college baseball. The Braves drafted him as a pitcher, but he had Tommy John surgery before his first professional appearance.

Nick Pivetta (2-4, 4.08) is scheduled to start for Boston. The right-hander took a 5-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. He gave up two runs on three hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings while striking out nine, including eight in a row at one point to tie the franchise record.

Pivetta also took the loss when the Braves beat the Red Sox 5-0 on May 8. It was his first appearance since April 3, after which he went on the injured list with a right elbow strain. He gave up five runs on seven hits in four innings at Atlanta.

Pivetta is 7-5 with a 5.30 ERA in 20 career appearances (16 starts) vs. the Braves.

The Red Sox are 0-3 against the Braves this season.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Face Tough Series vs ATL

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Atlanta Braves will attempt to jump-start their slumping offense when they visit the Boston Red Sox for the opener of a two-game series tonight. The Braves averaged 3.4 runs per game in May, which was fewer than every major league team except the White Sox and Reds. Atlanta scored nine runs in a 11-9 loss to Oakland on Saturday, but was held to seven hits in a 3-1 victory over the A’s on Sunday.

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“I look through individually and see a lot of positives, quite honestly, with some guys offensively, which is what we’ve been trying to do,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We haven’t been playing bad baseball — we’ve been playing good baseball — we just haven’t hit. I see light at the end of the tunnel with a bunch of those guys.

“I see a lot of really good things out of the offense, and the good thing is these guys have been struggling offensively and they’ve just been playing the heck out of defense. … From my seat the hitting thing is going to come. I can’t go in there and blow anything up because we’re not playing bad baseball. We’re playing good baseball, we’re just not hitting.”

Atlanta will be facing a Boston team trying to create some positive energy. The Red Sox lost two out of three games against Milwaukee and two out of three against Baltimore before splitting four games against Detroit in a series that ended Sunday. Boston had a 3-0 lead in Sunday’s game, but ended up losing 8-4 in 10 innings.

Boston manager Alex Cora said although his team was in position to win the series against Detroit, he was not frustrated with Sunday’s loss.

“Not really,” he said. “We know where we’re at. We were playing five rookies today. We got to be realistic. We’re playing good baseball, that’s the thing. We had a chance to win three out of four. It didn’t happen, but for some reason with this group we don’t get frustrated. Just keep teaching them the game and help them to be better.

“We got a tough one coming up with the Braves. Hopefully we win it and then go to Chicago (White Sox) and have a good weekend over there. It’ll be good for us this week to gain some momentum.”

Boston’s Rafael Devers went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a triple and a game-tying home run in the eighth inning during Sunday’s loss. Devers enters Tuesday’s game batting .283 with 11 home runs, 29 RBIs and a .924 OPS.

“He keeps getting better and he understands who he is, not only on this team but in the industry,” Cora said. “He’s one of the best players in the league.”

Left-hander Max Fried (5-2, 2.97 ERA) is Atlanta’s probable starter for Tuesday’s game. Fried pitched eight innings in a 2-0 victory over Washington last Tuesday. He allowed seven hits, struck out six and walked one.

Fried is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in his only career start against Boston. He gave up two runs on five hits in five innings, struck out five and walked two.

Right-hander Kutter Crawford (2-4, 3.29) is scheduled to start for Boston. Crawford did not factor in the decision in his only career appearance against Atlanta. On May 7, he surrendered two runs on five hits in six innings, struck out six and walked two in a 4-2 loss at Atlanta.

–Field Level Media

Sale, Braves Sweep Red Sox

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Chris Sale threw six shutout innings and Marcell Ozuna hit two home runs to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 5-0 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Wednesday and a sweep of their two-game series.

Sale (5-1) scattered six hits, walked one and struck out a season-high 10 batters against his former team. The Red Sox were 0-for-6 with runners on base and left seven runners on base against Sale, whose scoreless outing was saved in the sixth when left fielder Jarred Kelenic reached over the wall to take away a homer from Garrett Cooper.

Ozuna was 2-for-3 with a walk, scored two runs and hit his 11th and 12th home runs of the season, most in the majors. Ozuna drove in four runs and leads the majors with 38 RBIs. It was Ozuna’s second multi-homer game of the season.

Atlanta got two scoreless innings from Dylan Lee. Ray Kerr threw a perfect ninth inning in his Atlanta debut.

Dodgers 3, Marlins 1

Gavin Stone went seven strong innings, Teoscar Hernandez had a home run with three RBIs and Los Angeles extended its winning streak to seven games and completed a 6-0 homestand with a win over Miami.

With the game tied at 1-1 in the sixth inning, Freddie Freeman hit a two-out double and scored on Hernandez’s full-count home run to left that just cleared the top of the wall over the outstretched glove of Marlins left fielder Nick Gordon.

Bryan De La Cruz hit a home run among his two hits and Ryan Weathers gave up three runs over six innings as the Marlins went 1-5 on a six-game road trip that also included a stop at Oakland.

Angels 5, Pirates 4

Willie Calhoun hit a sacrifice fly to cap a three-run rally in the sixth that lifted Los Angeles over host Pittsburgh.

Los Angeles’ bullpen took care of the rest, with Adam Cimber (3-0) striking out the side in the sixth, Matt Moore fanning two in 1 1/3 clean innings, and Luis Garcia getting the last two outs of the eighth.

Luis Ortiz (2-2) took the loss. Oneil Cruz and Connor Joe each had two hits for the Pirates.

Blue Jays 5, Phillies 3

Vladimir Guererro Jr. and Kevin Kiermaier each had three hits to lift Toronto past host Philadelphia, which saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end.

Davis Schneider added two hits and an RBI, while Kiermaier drove in two runs, and Guerrero and Bo Bichette hit RBI singles for the Blue Jays.

Nick Castellanos had two hits and Bryson Stott knocked in two runs for the Phillies, who had their 11-game home winning streak snapped.

Yankees 9, Astros 4

Juan Soto hit a two-run homer two batters into the bottom of the first inning and finished with five RBIs as host New York continued its recent success against Houston.

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton added solo shots as the Yankees won their fifth straight and beat the Astros for the ninth consecutive time. It was the first time this season the trio homered in the same game. Judge had three hits, including a two-run double that pushed New York’s lead to 8-1 in the sixth. Carlos Rodon (3-2) allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Kyle Tucker and Jeremy Pena homered, their 11th and fourth, respectively, but the Astros dropped their fourth game in a row. Jake Meyers hit an RBI triple that chased Rodon, and Altuve added an RBI single in the ninth.

Guardians 5, Tigers 4 (10 innings)

Brayan Rocchio delivered a walk-off single in the 10th inning as host Cleveland defeated Detroit to take two of three in the series.

Emmanuel Clase (2-1) picked up the win by pitching a scoreless 10th. Starter Tanner Bibee gave up four runs on five hits in four innings and struck out five. Kyle Manzardo singled in the seventh for his first major league hit.

Detroit starter Reese Olson limited the Guardians to two runs (one earned) and one hit in six innings. Alex Lange (0-2) took the loss.

Twins 6, Mariners 3

Willi Castro went 2-for-3 with a triple, a homer and two RBIs as the Minnesota pulled away for a win over Seattle in Minneapolis.

Carlos Correa and Trevor Larnach each added a solo home run for the Twins. Chris Paddack (4-1) held the Mariners to one run on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings while fanning 10. Jhoan Duran pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save.

Mitch Garver went 2-for-3 with a solo homer for the Mariners, and Cal Raleigh had a two-run double. George Kirby (3-3) allowed four runs on four hits, including three home runs, in five innings.

Royals 6, Brewers 4

Bobby Witt Jr. homered to lead Kansas past visiting Milwaukee in the rubber game of their three-game set.

Vinnie Pasquantino had two of the Royals’ nine hits while Michael Massey’s career-best 10-game hitting streak came to an end. Adam Frazier’s RBI hit in the three-run eighth snapped an 0-for-20 slide.

William Contreras drove in two runs for the Brewers, who have lost four of five.

Padres 3, Cubs 0

Dylan Cease pitched seven shutout innings of one-hit ball and San Diego got a few timely hits in its shutout win against host Chicago.

With the win, the Padres took the series over the Cubs, 2-1. They also won a three-game series against Chicago last month. Cease (5-2) racked up 12 strikeouts and gave up two walks in a masterful effort. It marked the fifth time in Cease’s last six outings that he gave up one or fewer earned runs.

Cubs starter Hayden Wesneski (2-1) was removed after pitching six innings. He gave up three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in the loss.

Athletics 9, Rangers 4 (Game 1)

Shea Langeliers and Brent Rooker each homered while combining for six hits and eight RBIs, propelling Oakland over visiting Texas in the opener of a doubleheader.

Brett Harris also homered and the Athletics held the Rangers scoreless over the final five innings, helping Oakland snap a three-game losing streak.

Marcus Semien homered for the second consecutive day for the Rangers as part of a 3-for-5 performance. The homer was his seventh.

Rangers 12, A’s 11 (Game 2)

Adolis Garcia, Josh Smith and Jonah Heim had consecutive RBI hits in the eighth inning to help Texas outlast host Oakland and salvage a doubleheader split.

Evan Carter and Nathaniel Lowe produced insurance runs in the ninth with RBI singles, allowing the Rangers to survive a four-run uprising by the A’s in the last of the inning.

Heim finished with two hits, two runs and three RBIs, while Texas’ Marcus Semien and Ezequiel Duran chipped in with three hits apiece. Shea Langeliers hit his second homer of the day for the A’s, and Tyler Soderstrom also went deep.

Diamondbacks 4, Reds 3

Jordan Montgomery allowed just two runs over seven innings and Gabriel Moreno drove in the go-ahead run to lead visiting Arizona past Cincinnati.

Eugenio Suarez homered against his former team and collected two hits while Moreno also added two hits for the Diamondbacks, who won their third straight. Montgomery (2-2) scattered seven hits, striking out two and walking two, to end a personal two-game skid.

Jeimer Candelario had three hits and Tyler Stephenson and TJ Friedl each had two for the Reds, who suffered their seventh straight loss. The Reds snapped a 43-inning drought without a lead when they broke through in the second against Montgomery.

Orioles 7, Nationals 6 (12 innings)

Jorge Mateo singled home the go-ahead run in the 12th inning and Baltimore beat host Washington after blowing two-run leads in the ninth and 11th innings.

Mateo led off with a single against Jordan Weems (1-1) that scored Jordan Westburg. Mateo ended up on third via two Washington throwing errors on the play and scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-5.

Albert Suarez (2-0) pitched two innings for the win and Jacob Webb picked up his second save of the season despite allowing Luis Garcia, Jr.’s run-scoring double in the 12th.

White Sox 4, Rays 1

Paul DeJong hit his second home run in as many games as Chicago salvaged a win in its three-game series, beating Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla.

White Sox starter Chris Flexen (2-3) allowed one run on three hits in six innings to beat the Rays for the second time in two weeks. He fanned eight and walked one.

Tampa Bay got two hits from Harold Ramirez and an RBI double by Isaac Paredes, but the club produced just four hits as its season-high five-game winning streak ended.

Giants 8, Rockies 6

Michael Conforto had three hits, including a homer, Blake Sabol also had three hits, and San Francisco beat Colorado in Denver.

Matt Chapman and Mike Yastrzemski had two hits each for the Giants, who have won two straight after dropping four in a row.

Elias Diaz homered and singled, Sean Bouchard had three hits and Charlie Blackmon and Jordan Beck had two hits apiece for the Rockies, who have lost four in a row.

–Field Level Media

Sox Experience Power Surge

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A barrage of three home runs in the late innings helped the Boston Red Sox top the visiting Atlanta Braves 5-3 to complete a two-game series sweep on Wednesday night.

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Rafael Devers, Triston Casas and Adam Duvall all homered for Boston, which has won four straight. Justin Turner hit a two-run double that flipped the score for good in the seventh.

Turner, Casas and Connor Wong all had multi-hit games to support Brayan Bello, who allowed three runs on four hits over his six innings. Joe Jacques (2-1) followed with a scoreless inning to earn the win.

The early duel began with Bello erasing Atlanta’s first two hits with double play balls, helping him face just one batter over the minimum through the first five innings.

One swing of the bat broke the game open for the Braves in the sixth after Harris lined a leadoff double to center and Ronald Acuna Jr. was hit by a pitch. Ozzie Albies ripped a three-run homer into the right-center field bullpen.

Albies was 2-for-4 to lead the six-hit offense for the Braves, who have lost three of their last four games.

Harris’ double made him the first Atlanta runner in scoring position in the game.

The Red Sox quickly broke the shutout bid in the sixth when Devers golfed a two-out solo homer out to right. Spencer Strider had started the inning with back-to-back strikeouts, helping him reach double digits for the ninth time this season.

Boston chased Strider (6 1/3 innings, two runs, six hits, 10 strikeouts, one walk) with one out in the seventh after Casas homered to center and Connor Wong followed with a single. The homer marked Casas’ third during a five-game hit streak.

Two batters after Pierce Johnson (1-6) entered, Turner hit a two-out double to left that lifted Boston to its first lead.

Duvall’s solo homer extended the Boston lead in the eighth.

Kenley Jansen worked out of a two-on, one-out jam to post his 22nd save.

–Field Level Media

Baseball Series: The Shot Heard Around a Local Neighborhood

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By TERRY LYONS

ATLANTA – Welcome to Game 3 of the Unincorporated Community of Cumberland Series. After two games at the Harris County Series, Major League Baseball will stage its first pitch of the first truly local, everyday series with the Harris County Astros tied with the Cumberland Braves, 1-game apiece.

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Gone are the days of the World Series and amazing feats like the Miracle of Coogan’s Bluff which brought the 1951 NY Giants to an early version of the Local Series, called a Subway Series which was lost to the New York Yankees in six games. Gone are “I can’t believe what I just saw” moments, as no one will see it.

“We don’t market our game on a nationwide basis,” said Manfred as the series opened in Harris County, Texas. “Ours is an everyday game, you’ve got to sell tickets every single day to the fans in that market. And there are all sorts of differences among the clubs among the regions as to how the games are marketed.”

That is certainly true and to be fair to MLB and Manfred, he was explaining how every MLB club must compete in each MLB town to attract fans, sell tickets and get TV eye-balls on their regular season games. It’s a difficult task multiplied by 81 home games in the heat of summer, the cold dampness of April in the northern USA cities and the sad reality of being 20 games back in September for the cellar-dwellers.

Manfred was defending MLBs attempt to be “apolitical,” Yet, and in all seriousness, with the Atlanta Braves in the 2021 World Series, baseball found itself in the State of Georgia where they left this summer’s All-Star Game behind to make a stand against the obvious voter suppression laws being enacted by state lawmakers in reaction to the upset election of two Democratic United States Senators (Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock) in a State run by a Republican governor. The All-Star Game went to Denver, Colorado and baseball found itself right, smack in the middle of politics in these formerly United States.

Apolitical?

Let me say this,” Manfred said. “It’s harder than it used to be. It sure is.”

That brings us to the Braves, the club name and the (adopted from the Florida State Seminole fans) Tomahawk “Chop.”

“We have 30 markets around the country. They’re not all the same,” said Manfred. “The Native American community in that region is fully supportive of the Braves program, including the chop. And for me, that’s kind of the end of the story.”

Note to PR practitioners: When someone hoping to end a story says it’s “kind of the end of the story,” the public relations people still have a story and potential crisis on their hands.

While scores of athletic programs (college mostly) dropped mascots and program nicknames like, “Warriors, Redmen, and Indians,” and the North Dakota Fighting Sioux dropped their college nickname and have yet to replace it, as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish look on.  Two professional teams found themselves as the major focal points of the politically incorrect position of promoting their franchises as the Cleveland Indians (MLB) and the Washington Redskins (NFL).

The Redskins made the PC move to become the Washington Football Team two seasons ago but are yet to come up with a suitable team name. The Cleveland Indians made the announcement that they would become the Cleveland Guardians but were recently sued in U.S. District Court by a Roller Derby team claiming ownership of the word “Guardians.”

No matter what the case may be, someone, somewhere and somehow will be offended – some rightfully and others trying to make a fuss or a buck but the Braves and Astros will play Game 3 of the Series of the pastime formerly known as national.

Red Sox Lose to ATL on Last Day of Spring Training

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FORT MYERS – The Boston Red Sox (16-11) dropped a 5-3 decision to the Atlanta Braves (15-13) in the final Spring Training Grapefruit League game for both  teams today at jetBlue Park. The Red Sox will now pack-up the gear and head north to Fenway Park for Thursday’s home opener against the Baltimore Orioles. Although today’s forecast in Boston was for a perfect spring day, Thursday’s weather calls for afternoon showers and an 80% chance of rain. First pitch is schedule for 2:10pm Thursday.

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Braves reliever Drew Smyly earned the win and Boston RP Martin Perez took the loss while Braves ace Mike Soroka earned a save in the seven inning game. OF Jarren Duran homered off Soroka in the 7th. Perez allowed four runs on four hits in 5.0 innings pitched. He walked two and struck-out five Braves but allowed a two-run homer to Ozzie Albies in the 5th inning.

On Monday, Boston defeated Atlanta, 4-0, behind three long-balls in the 3rd inning and solid pitching. With one out and no base runners, infielder Enrique Rodriguez homered to left field, J.D. Martinez solo homered to left-center and after a Xander Bogaerts single, utility man Marwin Gonzalez homered to right to complete the scoring.

Tanner Houck went 4.1 innings to start for the Sox and he was relived by Kaleb Ort (0.2 inn), Austin Brice (1.0 inn) and Darwinzon Hernandez (1.o inn) to complete the four-hit shutout in a 7 inning game. The Braves used six pitchers and a total of 21 players in the home loss.